Fabric with active illumination and reflection characteristics

ABSTRACT

A woven fabric with active illumination and reflection characteristics is described. Light guiding fibers are used as the weft, bright threads are used as the warp, and the warp and the weft are interwoven, or partial lengths of the light guiding fibers are not interwoven with the bright threads. The light-emitting woven fabric has light guiding fibers and bright threads as the weft, and bright threads as the warp, the weft and the warp being interwoven, or partial lengths of the light guiding fibers not being interwoven with the bright threads.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on, and claims priority from, TaiwanApplication Serial Number 93113702, filed May 14, 2004, the disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a type of fabric, particularly to atype of illuminative fabric consisting of bright thread and lightguiding fibers.

2. Description of Related Art

There are two lighting systems for nighttime illumination, decorative orwarning systems. One is a passive, light-reflective device reflectingforeign light source for warning purposes without consuming power.Generally, the passive light-reflecting device consists of plasticlight-reflective strips or light-reflective plates. These, however aremade of hard materials, and do not provide light when no light source isavailable from the ambient environment.

Another system is an active light-emitting device made of fluorescentlight or lamp bulbs, in most cases. Such device has a high luminosityand is free from environmental restrictions, but is not suitable for useon garments or decorations for warning or decorative purposes, becauseit has sophisticated construction and is bulky and expensive.

The conventional side-light fibers are made by partially destroying thecoating of carbon fluoride molecules on the walls of regular plasticoptical fibers. When a light source is provided at the end of a fiber,the light travels along the axis of the light guiding fiber. Since thereflective materials on the walls of the light guiding fibers arepartially destroyed, light is emitted from the destroyed parts, therebyemitting light rays from the sides of the light guiding fibers. But theside-light fibers do not have sufficient flexibility and consistentlighting distribution, and do not allow sufficient curvature. Therefore,there is a need for a type of fabric with active illumination, which islightweight, flexible and capable of providing consistent lightingeffects, and can be used on clothing, decorations, bulletin boards andother devices.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a typeof fabric with active illumination and reflection characteristics. Thefabric of the present invention is capable of providing activeillumination at a location where sufficient lighting is lacking, andproviding concentrated lighting by light reflection characteristics.

It is another an objective of the present invention to provide alightweight, flexible and portable fabric with active illumination andpassive reflection characteristics for the production of clothing,decorative articles, bulletin boards, and warning devices.

In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of the presentinvention, a fabric is provided by interworking warp bright threads andweft light guiding fibers, the warp and the weft being interwoven inlengthwise and crosswise directions, or partial lengths of the weftlight guiding fibers not being interwoven with the warp threads

The type of fabric provided to serve the purposes of the invention usesbright threads as the warp, and simultaneously the bright threads andlight guiding fibers as the weft. Proportions of the bright threads andthe light guiding fibers are chosen so the bright threads areintermittently arranged between the light guiding fibers. Then, the warpof bright threads and light guiding fibers is interwoven with the weftof bright threads, or partial lengths of the weft light guiding fibersnot interwoven with the bright threads of the warp.

Optionally, the light guiding fibers used in the present invention offabric are light guiding fibers with light escaping from theirsidewalls. Additionally, the light guiding fibers of the weft areoptionally connected with a light source, such as a Light-emitting DiodeLED. One to seven pieces of light guiding fibers are optionally bundledas one and connected with the light source, or preferably, three to fivepieces are bundled as one and connected with the light source.

The bright threads used in the present invention of fabric areoptionally bright threads with a round, square or triangular crosssection. The luminosity of the bright threads ranges from grade 1 tograde 10, and preferably between grade 5 and grade 10. The ratio of thelight guiding fibers to the bright threads of the weft (light guidingfibers:bright threads) ranges from approximately 20:0 to 1:7, andpreferably between 20:0 and 1:5, where 20:0 indicates that the weftconsists fully of light guiding fibers.

The fabric with active illumination and reflection characteristics ofthe present invention uses weft light guiding fibers connected withlight sources to provide active lighting, as well as light reflectingbright threads, the bright threads themselves and the plane composed ofinterwoven bright threads serving to reflect a foreign light source, andmeanwhile reflecting the light projected from the light guiding fibers,causing the light to concentrate on a same side to achieve the purposeof concentrated and consistent lighting distribution. On the other hand,the present invention uses bright threads inserted between the lightguiding fibers in the weft for lightness and flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The other objects and features of the present invention can be morefully understood by referring to the following description of preferredembodiments and accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows a woven fabric using bright threads as warp and lightguiding fibers as weft, the warp and the weft being interwoven,according to the present invention;

FIG. 1A shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the woven fabric,according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a woven fabric using bright threads as warp, with lightguiding fibers and bright threads intermittently arranged and interwovenas weft, according to the present invention;

FIG. 2A shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the woven fabric,illustrating the shape of the cross section of weft threads and how thewarp and the weft are interwoven, according to the present invention;

FIG. 2B shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the woven fabric,illustrating the shape of the cross section of the weft threads and howthe warp and the weft are interwoven, according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows a woven fabric, using bright threads as the warp, the lightguiding fibers and the bright threads being intermittently arranged andinterwoven, according to the present invention;

FIG. 3A shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the woven fabric,illustrating the shape of the cross section of weft threads and how thewarp and the weft are interwoven, according to the present invention;and

FIG. 3B shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the woven fabric,illustrating the shape of the cross section of the weft threads and howthe warp and the weft are interwoven, according to the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A type of fabric with active illumination and the reflectioncharacteristics of the present invention is disclosed in the preferredembodiments. Using several different types of bright threads withdifferent luminosities, and different proportions of light guidingfibers and bright threads in the weft, the present invention hasdisclosed several variations in the preferred embodiments. Anyoneskilled in the art can gain understanding from the description of thepreferred embodiments and practice the invention without departing fromthe spirit and intent of the present invention.

The luminosity of the bright threads used in the preferred embodimentshas been measured according to the CNS-7773 luminosity measuring method,the luminosity being graded in ten degrees according to the thread'slight-reflective capacity. Grade one to three indicates bright threadsthat do not reflect light, and are referred to as frosted threads.Grades three to ten indicates bright threads that do have lightreflective effects. In the preferred embodiments, bright threads havinga luminosity of grade five or higher are used as materials.

The First Preferred Embodiment

As shown in the preferred embodiment in FIG. 1, the warp 102 consistsentirely of round bright threads having a luminosity of grade five,while the weft 104 consists entirely of light guiding fibers. Referringto the weaving illustrated in FIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and roundbright threads are woven to obtain the first woven fabric.

FIG. 1A shows a longitudinal schematic, cross-sectional view of thefirst woven fabric. The circle 104 a is a schematic, cross-sectionalview of the light guiding fiber, and the thread 102 a is a roundilluminating thread having a luminosity of grade 5. The part where thelight guiding fibers are not interwoven with the round bright threads iszone 106 a; the interwoven part is zone 108 a. When one to seven pieces,or preferably three to five pieces, of light guiding fibers areconnected to the active light-emitting source, such as a LED, it becomesthe first woven fabric with active illumination.

When the first woven fabric emits light actively, the round brightthreads in zone 106 a will reflect the light-emitting from the lightguiding fiber, thereby making the avtive light source 110 consistent andconcentrated on one side. The round bright threads in zone 108 a willreflect the foreign light source 112.

The Second Preferred Embodiment

The first preferred embodiment is modified by using only triangularbright threads having a luminosity of grade 5 for the warp 102 and onlylight guiding fibers for the weft 104. Referring to the weavingillustrated in FIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and the triangularbright threads are woven to obtain the second woven fabric that hasactive illumination and reflection characteristics. This preferredembodiment, as well as the following preferred embodiments, adopts thesame method as described above for the first preferred embodiment.Therefore, it requires no elaboration.

The Third Preferred Embodiment

The first preferred embodiment is modified by using only round brightthreads having a luminosity of grade 7 for the warp 102 and only lightguiding fibers for the weft 104. Referring to the weaving illustrated inFIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and the round bright threads are wovento obtain the third woven fabric that has active illumination andreflection characteristics.

The Fourth Preferred Embodiment

The first preferred embodiment is modified by using only triangularbright threads having a luminosity of grade 7 for the warp 102 and onlylight guiding fibers for the weft 104. Referring to the weavingillustrated in FIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and the triangularbright threads are woven to obtain the fourth woven fabric that hasactive illumination and reflection characteristics.

The Fifth Preferred Embodiment

The first preferred embodiment is modified by using only round brightthreads having a luminosity of grade 10 for the warp 102 and only lightguiding fibers for the weft 104. Referring to the weaving illustrated inFIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and the round bright threads are wovento obtain the fifth woven fabric that has active illumination andreflection characteristics.

The Sixth Preferred Embodiment

The first preferred embodiment is modified by using only triangularbright threads having a luminosity of grade 10 for the warp 102 and onlylight guiding fibers for the weft 104. Referring to the weavingillustrated in FIG. 1, the light guiding fibers and the triangularbright threads are woven to obtain the sixth woven fabric that hasactive illumination and reflection characteristics.

The Seventh Preferred Embodiment

Modification of the first preferred embodiment results in the seventhpreferred embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, only round bright threadshaving a luminosity of grade 5 are used for the warp 202, while lightguiding fibers and round bright threads of grade 5 are respectively usedfor the weft 204 and 206. In a ratio of 1:1, each round illuminatingthread is inserted between two light guiding fibers. Then, referring tothe weaving illustrated in FIG. 2, the light guiding fibers and theround bright threads are woven to obtain the seventh woven fabric.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of theseventh fabric. The hollow circle 204 a is a cross section of the lightguiding fiber. The solid circle 206 a is a cross section of the roundbright thread. The thread 202 a is a round bright thread. The part wherethe light guiding fibers are not interwoven with the round brightthreads is zone 208 a. The interwoven part is zone 210 a. When terminalsof one to seven pieces, or preferably three to five pieces of lightguiding fibers are connected to an active illuminating light source,such as a Light-emitting Diode (LED), it becomes the seventh fabric withactive illumination.

When the seventh fabric emits light actively, the round bright threadsin zone 208 a will reflect the light emitted from the light guidingfiber, making the active light source 214 have consistent lightingdistribution and concentrated lighting effect on the same side.Meanwhile, the round bright threads are interwoven to form the plane 208shown in FIG. 2, and the zone 210 a in FIG. 2A will reflect the foreignlight source 212.

The Eighth Preferred Embodiment

The eighth preferred embodiment comes from modifying the seventhpreferred embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, only triangular bright threadshaving a luminosity of grade 5 are used for the warp 202, light guidingfibers are used for the weft 204, and triangular bright threads of grade5 are used for the weft 206. In a ratio of 1:1, a triangular brightthread is inserted between every two light guiding fibers. Then,referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG. 2, the light guiding fibersand the round bright threads are woven to obtain the eighth wovenfabric.

FIG. 2B shows a schematic, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of theeighth woven fabric. The hollow circle 204 b is a cross section of thelight guiding fiber, the solid triangle 206 b is a cross section of thetriangular bright thread, and the thread 202 b is a triangular brightthread. The part where the light guiding fibers are interwoven with thetriangular bright threads is zone 208 b. The interwoven part is zone 210b. When terminals of one to seven pieces, or preferably three to fivepieces of light guiding fibers are connected to an active illuminationlight source, such as a Light-emitting Diode (LED), it will become theeighth woven fabric with active illumination.

When the eighth fabric emits light actively, the round bright threads inzone 208 b will reflect the light-emitting from the light guidingfibers, making consistent distribution to the active light source 214and concentrated lighting effect on the same side. Meanwhile, the roundbright threads are interwoven to form the plane 208 shown in FIG. 2, andthe zone 210 a in FIG. 2A will reflect the foreign light source 212.

The Ninth Preferred Embodiment

In this embodiment, the seventh preferred embodiment is modified byusing only round bright threads having a luminosity of grade 7 for thewarp 202, and light guiding fibers and round bright threads of grade 7,respectively, for the weft 204 and 206, as shown in FIG. 2. In a ratioof 1:1, each round bright thread is inserted between two light guidingfibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG. 2, the lightguiding fibers and the round bright threads are woven to obtain theninth woven fabric. The ninth preferred embodiment, as well as thefollowing preferred embodiments, adopts the same method as describedabove for the seventh and the eighth embodiments, so it requires nofurther elaboration.

The Tenth Preferred Embodiment

This embodiment is arrived at by modifying the eighth preferredembodiment, using only triangular bright threads having a luminosity ofgrade 7 for the warp 202, and light guiding fibers and triangular brightthreads of grade 7, respectively, for the weft 204 and 206, as shown inFIG. 2. In a ratio of 1:1, each triangular bright thread is insertedbetween two light guiding fibers. Then, referring to the weavingillustrated in FIG. 2, the light guiding fibers and the round brightthreads are woven to obtain the tenth woven fabric.

The Eleventh Preferred Embodiment

In this embodiment, the seventh preferred embodiment is modified byusing only round bright threads having a luminosity of grade 10 are usedfor the warp 202, and the light guiding fibers and round bright threadsof grade 10 respectively for the weft 204 and 206, as shown in FIG. 2.In a ratio of 1:1, each round bright thread is inserted between twolight guiding fibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG.2, the light guiding fibers and the round bright threads are woven toobtain the eleventh woven fabric.

The Twelfth Preferred Embodiment

In this embodiment, the eighth preferred embodiment is modified by usingonly triangular bright threads having a luminosity of grade 10 for thewarp 202, and light guiding fibers and triangular bright threads ofgrade 10, respectively, for the weft 204 and 206, as shown in FIG. 2. Ina ratio of 1:1, each triangular bright thread is inserted between twolight guiding fibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG.2, the light guiding fibers and the round bright threads are woven toobtain the twelfth woven fabric.

The Thirteenth Preferred Embodiment

The thirteenth embodiment is obtained by modifying the seventh preferredembodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, only round bright threads having aluminosity of grade 5 are used for the warp 302, and light guidingfibers and round bright threads of grade 5 are used, respectively, forthe weft 304 and 306. In a ratio of 1:3, each three round bright threadsare inserted between two light guiding fibers. Then, referring to theweaving illustrated in FIG. 3, the light guiding fibers and the roundbright threads are woven to obtain the thirteenth woven fabric.

FIG. 3A is a schematic, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of thethirteenth woven fabric. The hollow circle 304 a is a cross section ofthe light guiding fiber, the solid round 306 a is a cross section of theround bright thread, and the thread 302 a is a round bright thread. Thepart where the light guiding fibers are not interwoven with the roundbright threads is zone 308 a. The interwoven part is zone 310 a. Whenthe terminals of one to seven, or preferably three to five pieces oflight guiding fibers are connected to an active light-emitting source,such as a LED, it becomes the e thirteenth woven fabric with activeillumination.

When the thirteenth woven fabric emits light actively, the round brightthreads in zone 308 a will reflect the light-emitting from the lightguiding fiber, making consistent lighting distribution of the activelight source 314, and a concentrated lighting effect on the same side.Meanwhile, the round bright threads are interwoven to form the plane 308shown in FIG. 3, and zone 310 a in FIG. 2A will reflect the foreignlight source 312.

The Fourteenth Preferred Embodiment

This embodiment is obtained by modifying the seventh preferredembodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, only triangular bright threads having aluminosity of grade 5 are used for the warp 302, light guiding fibersare used for the weft 304, and triangular bright threads of grade 5 areused for the weft 306. In a ratio of 1:3, each three triangular brightthreads are inserted between two light guiding fibers. Then, referringto the weaving illustrated in FIG. 3, the light guiding fibers and theround bright threads are woven to obtain the fourteenth woven fabric.

FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic, longitudinal, cross-sectional view ofthe fourteenth woven fabric. The hollow circle 304 b is a cross sectionof the light guiding fiber, the solid triangle 306 b is a cross sectionof the triangular bright thread, and the thread 302 b is the triangularbright thread. The part where the light guiding fibers are notinterwoven with the triangular bright threads is zone 308 b, and theinterwoven part is zone 310 b. When the terminals of one to seven, orpreferably three to five pieces of light guiding fibers are connected tothe active bright source, such as a LED, it becomes the fourteenthpreferred embodiment with active illumination.

When the fourteenth woven fabric emits light actively, the round brightthreads in zone 308 b will reflect the light-emitting from the lightguiding fiber, making consistent lighting distribution of the lightsource 314, and a concentrated lighting effect on the same side.Meanwhile, the round bright threads are interwoven to form the plane 308in FIG. 3, and the zone 310 a in FIG. 3A will reflect the foreign lightsource 312.

The Fifteenth Preferred Embodiment

This is a modification of the thirteenth preferred embodiment, usingonly round bright threads having a luminosity of grade 7 for the warp302, and light guiding fibers and round bright threads of grade 7,respectively, for the weft 304 and 306, as shown in FIG. 3. In a ratioof 1:3, each three round bright threads are inserted between two lightguiding fibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG. 3,the light guiding fibers and round bright threads are woven to obtainthe fifteenth woven fabric. The method adopted in the fifteenthembodiment, as well as the following embodiment, is the same as themethod described above for the thirteenth and the fourteenth embodiment,so it requires no further elaboration.

The Sixteenth Preferred Embodiment

This is a modification of the fourteenth preferred embodiment, usingonly triangular bright threads having a luminosity of grade 7 for thewarp 302, and light guiding fibers and triangular bright threads ofgrade 7, respectively, for the weft 304 and 306. In a ratio of 1:3, eachthree triangular bright threads are inserted between two light guidingfibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG. 3, the lightguiding fibers and the round bright threads are woven to obtain thesixteenth woven fabric.

The Seventeenth Preferred Embodiment

This is a modification of the thirteenth embodiment, using only roundbright threads having a luminosity of grade 10 for the warp 302, andlight guiding fibers and round bright threads of grade 10, respectively,for the weft 304 and 306, as shown in FIG. 3. In a ratio of 1:3, eachthree round bright threads are inserted between two light guidingfibers. Then, referring to the weaving illustrated in FIG. 3, the lightguiding fibers and the round bright threads are woven to obtain theseventeenth woven fabric.

The Eighteenth Preferred Embodiment

This is a modification of the fourteenth preferred embodiment, usingonly triangular bright threads having a luminosity of grade 10 for thewarp 302, and light guiding fibers and triangular bright threads ofgrade 10, respectively, for the weft 304 and 306, as shown in FIG. 3. Ina ratio of 1:3, each three triangular bright threads are insertedbetween two light guiding fibers. Then, referring to the weavingillustrated in FIG. 3, the light guiding fibers and the round brightthreads are woven to obtain the eighteenth woven fabric.

A luminosity test is conducted according to the CNS 5064 luminositymeasuring method to measure respective luminosities for the first to theeighteenth woven fabrics as described in the foregoing first toeighteenth preferred embodiments. The relative luminosity of respectivewoven fabrics is calculated on the base of 100% for the sixth preferredembodiment that has the highest luminosity among the eighteen preferredembodiments. Table 1 shows the results of the test, along with the typesof bright threads used in the fabrics, and the proportions of the lightguiding fibers to the bright threads. TABLE 1 Relative Luminosity ofDifferent Fabrics Warp/weft proportion Relative luminosity Light guidingRound Triangular fibers:Bright Round Triangular Round TriangularLuminosity Luminosity threads Luminosity 5 Luminosity 5 Luminosity 7Luminosity 7 10 10 20:0 (All 69.0% 72.4% 82.8% 86.2% 96.6% 100% lightguiding 1^(st) Fabric 2^(nd) Fabric 3^(rd) Fabric 4^(th) Fabric 5^(th)Fabric 6^(th) Fabric fibers) 1:1 34.5% 37.9% 41.4% 43.1% 44.8% 44.8%7^(th) Fabric 8^(th) Fabric 9^(th) Fabric 10^(th) 11^(th) 12^(th) FabricFabric Fabric 1:3 15.5% 17.6% 20.7% 21.4% 22.4% 24.1% 13^(th) 14^(th)15^(th) 16^(th) 17^(th) 18^(th) Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric FabricFabric

Table 1 shows the following. First, high-luminosity bright threads asthe materials are used for the woven fabric, providing higher luminosityto the woven fabric than the use of low-luminosity bright threads. Forexample, when only light guiding fibers are used for the weft, a wovenfabric having a luminosity of grade 7 for the warp has a higherluminosity than a woven fabric having a luminosity of grade 5, and athird-grade woven fabric has a higher luminosity than a first-gradewoven fabric. There is no need of proof to draw to the conclusion. Whenthe threads have no light-reflecting effect (frosted threads) are usedas the material for the woven fabric, the bright threads used asmaterials for the present invention will significantly increase theluminosity of the fabric.

Second, the cross-sectional shape of the bright threads has an effect.As shown in Table 1, given the same rate of light guiding fibers andbright threads in the weft, a woven fabric using triangular brightthreads has a higher luminosity than a fabric using round threads.Because triangular bright threads have planes that are more efficient inreflecting light, given the same proportion of use of light guidingfibers for the weft, triangular bright threads are capable of a higherluminosity than round bright threads. Meanwhile, bright threads having asquare cross section are also capable of increasing the light-reflectingefficiency of woven fabrics, thereby increasing the luminosity of thewoven fabrics.

Thirdth, the proportions of light guiding fibers and bright threads usedfor the weft are also important. When a higher percentage of lightguiding fibers is used, the woven fabric will have a higher luminosity.Relatively, when the weft uses a higher percentage of bright threads,the woven fabric will have a lighter and softer texture, while the planeinterwoven of bright threads (such as the plane 308 in FIG. 3) and thebright threads themselves will provide an active and consistent lightsource, and will reflect the light coming from a foreign source. Therate of light guiding fibers and bright threads used for the weft mayrange from 20:0 to about 1:7, or preferably between 20:0 and about 1:5.

Therefore, the present invention provides a woven fabric using lightguiding fibers as materials, with a light-emitting source connected tothe terminals of the light guiding fibers, providing active illuminationto the woven fabric of the present invention. Another feature of thepresent invention is the use of bright threads in the fabric, using theplane composed of interwoven bright threads to reflect the light comingfrom a foreign source, and meanwhile reflecting the light emitted fromthe light guiding fibers, so the light is concentrated on the same sideand has a consistent light distribution. On the other hand, brightthreads are inserted between the light guiding fibers in the weft, allowthe present invention of an illuminated fabric to be lightweight andflexible.

Moreover, the percentage of light guiding fibers and the types of brightthreads can be adjusted to suit the needs of applications of the presentinvention. For instance, when the invention of illuminating fabric isused on an warning signal, it is advisable to use only light guidingfibers for the weft, and triangular or square bright threads having aluminosity of grade ten, in order to produce a woven fabric having thehighest luminosity for warning purposes. Also, when the presentinvention is used on clothing or decorative items, it is advisable toinsert a specified number of bright threads between the light guidingfibers for the weft, to increase the flexibility of the woven fabric,and provide better comfort and lighting effects.

The specific percentages and figures cited in the foregoing embodiments,including luminosity grade 5 and rate 1:7, and directional indicationssuch as “upper part” and “lower part”, are used merely for the purposeof representation, which shall not be used to restrict the scope of thepresent invention. The foregoing demonstration or description of thepreferred embodiments has been provided for reference only. It is to beunderstood that all modifications and equivalent variations in detailsor configurations made by anyone skilled in the art according to theprinciples disclosed above shall be included in the spirit and intent ofthe present invention.

1. A woven fabric with active illumination and reflectioncharacteristics, comprising: a plurality of warp bright threads; and aplurality of weft light guiding fibers, wherein at least partial lengthsof the light guiding fibers are interwoven with the bright threads, thebright threads being capable of reflecting light from the light guidingfibers and a foreign light source.
 2. The woven fabric of claim 1further comprises a plurality of bright threads as the weft.
 3. Thewoven fabric of claim 2, wherein a proportion of the light guidingfibers to the bright threads in the weft is approximately 20:0 to 1:7.4. The woven fabric of claim 2, wherein a proportion of the lightguiding fibers to the bright threads in the weft is preferablyapproximately 20:0 to 1:5.
 5. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein, thelight guiding fibers include at least one side-light fiber.
 6. The wovenfabric of claim 1, further comprises at least a light-emitting sourceconnected to the terminals of the light guiding fibers, thelight-emitting source including at least one light-emitting diode (LED).7. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the bright threads have acircular, rectangular, or triangular cross section.
 8. The woven fabricof claim 7, wherein the bright threads have a luminosity ranging betweenabout grade 1 and grade
 10. 9. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein thewoven fabric has a density ranging from approximately 50 to 210 threadsper square inch.
 10. A woven fabric with active illumination andreflection characteristics, comprising: a plurality of warp brightthreads; a plurality of weft bright threads; and a plurality of weftlight guiding fibers, wherein at least one weft thread is insertedbetween the light guiding fibers, and at least partial lengths of thelight guiding fibers are interwoven with the bright threads; wherein thebright threads reflect light from the light guiding fibers and a foreignlight source.
 11. The woven fabric of claim 10, wherein a proportion ofthe light guiding fibers to the bright threads in the weft isapproximately 20:0 to 1:7.
 12. The woven fabric of claim 10, wherein aproportion of the light guiding fibers to the bright threads in the weftis preferably approximately 20:0 to 1:5.
 13. The woven fabric of claim10, wherein the light guiding fibers include at least one side-lightfiber.
 14. The woven fabric of claim 10, further comprising at least alight-emitting source connected to the terminals of the light guidingfibers, the light-emitting source including at least one light-emittingdiode (LED).
 15. The woven fabric of claim 10, wherein the brightthreads have a circular, rectangular, or triangular cross section. 16.The woven fabric of claim 15, wherein the bright threads have aluminosity ranging from approximately grade 1 to grade
 10. 17. The wovenfabric of claim 10, wherein the woven fabric has a density ranging fromabout 50 to 210 threads per square inch.